This afternoon at 4:15 PM (catch it on LaLiga TV via Movistar +), LaLiga leaders Barcelona are gearing up for a showdown against Girona at Montilivi. This venue holds some tough memories for Barcelona, as it was where last season's struggles led to Xavi losing his job. Today’s match will really test the strong start that Hansi Flick has had with the team. It’s a big challenge, especially with the Champions League just around the corner and a new format kicking off this season. Plus, this game comes right after the first of many FIFA breaks, which can be tricky for the Blaugrana due to the number of international players they have and the wear and tear that comes with it.
This time around, Fermin had to pull out from the U-21 squad because of a muscle injury, while Dani Olmo missed the second match of the break due to a knock. Thankfully, it seems like he’s all good now and ready to go. Lewandowski is set to play his 100th match for Barcelona, although he had to be subbed off during a friendly between Poland and Scotland due to some discomfort—just a precaution, really. Lamine Yamal had a bit of a scare with a knock against Valladolid but ended up playing the whole game. All of them are expected to be on the field today.
On the other side, Girona is on the rise and had seven players on international duty, all of whom returned without any issues. However, Yangel Herrera missed those matches to recover from a muscle injury and is looking to be fit for the clash against Barça. Míchel mentioned yesterday that he’s a bit of a question mark. Today will show us just how much the FIFA break has affected both teams; even if there are no injuries, players can still feel the fatigue.
Chasing that perfect record
Barcelona is aiming to keep their perfect points tally, something they haven’t done in the fifth round since the 2017-18 season. The following year, in 2018-19, they had a chance to win all five opening matches but ended up with a 2-2 draw against Girona. Interestingly, that draw didn’t happen at Montilivi but at Camp Nou.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper